Deutsche Bahn orders 250 mln euros' worth of locomotives from Siemens

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German rail operator Deutsche Bahn [DBN.UL] is buying 60 locomotives from Siemens (SIEGn.DE) in an order worth about 250 million euros ($297 million) as cross-border freight transport shifts from road to rail, it said in a statement on Friday.

The logo of German railways Deutsche Bahn is seen at the Hauptbahnhof main train station of Duesseldorf, Germany, February 2, 2017. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

The first locomotives are due to go into operation as early as the end of this year and are part of a master agreement for 100 locomotives signed with Siemens, Deutsche Bahn Cargo said.

The locomotives will be equipped with European Train Control System (ETCS) technologies and will be used on the Rhine-Alpine corridor in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands, and beginning in 2020 in Belgium as well.

“We are creating the optimal conditions to be able to shift more transport from road to rail,” said Deutsche Bahn board member Berthold Huber.

Germany is struggling to bring down pollution from road traffic while protecting the car industry.

Siemens’ rail unit Mobility, which for years struggled with quality issues including in supplying Deutsche Bahn, on Thursday reported a more than doubling of new orders.